Monster of the Week: The Tsul'kalu

I may very well be running a one shot of Monster of the Week in the near future and I'm working on creating a Threat (this is all +Gaming Ronin's fault).

Basic Concept A malicious Native American legend has returned to the Woods and is searching for a Relic that will let it dominate the land, once again.

Hook Several locals have gone missing, even one of the volunteers searching for them.

Threats
   Tsul'Kalu (Monster: To hurt and terrify)  A type of sasquatch that brooks no other hunters in it's territory and has the ability to mind control it's victims. Generations ago, it trapped the spirit of Awinita in an ancient relic and is looking for where it is buried.
   Ferocious Strength
   Mind Control
   Dark Magic
   Attacks Strike 2-Harm Intimate Hand; Mind Control -2 Forward Range
   Armour 1-Armour
   Harm Capacity 10
   Weakness Fire

   Fred Tierney (Minion: To steal for his master)
   Abigail Hawkins (Minion: To steal for her master)
   Josh Perkins (Minion: To steal for his master)
   Attacks Strike 1-Harm Intimiate Hand
   Armour None
   Harm Capacity 4 Each

Bystanders
   Tom Shaw (Bystander: Witness)
   Lisa Shaw (Bystander: Skeptic)
   Katey Shaw (Bystander: Victim)
   Deputy Joanne Burch (Bystander: Detective)
   Loren Desmond (Bystander: Busybody)
   Ruth Tierney (Bystander: Official)
   Emily Moore-Perkins (Bystander: Gossip)

Locations
   Shaw Farm (Location: Hub)
   The Woods (Location: Wilds)
   The Shack (Location: Den)
   The Cornfield (Location: Prison)
   Planterville Library (Location: Crossroads)

Countdown
   1. Day: In the last 9 days, 3 citizens of Planterville have gone missing, including Abigail Hawkins who was part of a search party for Fred and Josh.

   2. Shadows: Tom Shaw has been hearing something rustling around in his barn for several weeks and a wildlife camera took a picture of something he can't identify. Something that Deputy Burch is ignoring.

   3. Dusk: Fred, Josh, and Abigail find the Relic and plan to take it to their master.   

   4. Sunset: The tsul'kalu kidnaps Katey shaw and carries her off to the Shack.

   5. Nightfall: Tsul'kalu instructs it's minions to protect the Shack while it uses the Relic for the ritual.

   6. Midnight: By sacrificing Katey,  the tsul'kalu can become the apex predator of the region again. It will hunt down all of the game, livestock, and even the townsfolk that remain in Planterville by the new year.

Shadow of the Demon Lord: Grünfeuer, An Enchanted Sword

Joseph Schultz spent his life stalking a mysterious monster, the Cur, that haunted the Soldier Forest, who was often blamed for the killing of nearby livestock and the disappearance of nearly two-dozen. As he became an old man and worried he would never find the monster, he recruited his nephew Dolf to accompany him. Joseph carried with him a sword that his grandfather, Willem, had procured from a merchant and handed down to his father, who had handed it down to him. It was Joseph's prize possession and he promised to Dolph after the Cur was finally slain, it would be passed down to him.

Finally, in the first week of winter, Joseph and Dolf came upon the Cur, a chilling wolf-man that was tearing at a fallen stag. The battle was short and brutal and as the Cur fell upon Joseph and began tearing out his throat, the old man jammed his prized weapon into the thing's ribs where a terrible green fire burnt them both to ash in less than three heartbeats.

Three days later, a wounded Dolf stumbled from the Forest and made his way home to his new wife, Lara. After the birth of their twin girls, he sold the blade to a dwarf for three gold and admitted to his wife that he was glad to see that chapter of his life close. That winter, on the second anniversary of Joseph's death, beast-men massacred Dolf and his new family.

The dwarf who bought it was a mercenary, Koogan Stonewall, who found himself being paid to strike at the rebellious orcs of the Empire. His death came at the hands of a young orc named Kel who took the sword as he deserted his unit for the Northern Reach.

Grünfeuer
Sword (1d6+2 Plus Green Inferno on an attack roll 20+; 1 hand)
Green Inferno The target takes 2d6 damage or 4d6 damage if the target is a monster.

FATE: Natalie Elias, a Sharp-Eyed Occult Investigator who Keeps a Magic Ally

I'll be running an Instant Adventure One Shot for The Strange later this week and I'm toying with the idea using FAE as my players have shown an interest in it.

NATALIE ELIAS

High Concept: 

   Third-Level Occult Investigator for the Obelisk (Paradox)

Trouble: I Can't Help Saying the Wrong Thing
Shared: You Promised Her You Would Bring Her Brother Back 
   From The Dead
Other Aspects: Sharp-Eyed, Keeps a Magic Ally

APPROACHES

Careful: Mediocre (+0) 

Clever: Good (+3) 

Flashy: Fair (+2) 

Forceful: Average (+1) 

Quick: Average (+1) 

Sneaky: Fair (+2)

STUNTS
Find The Flaw (Clever): Because of you're Perception you gain a +2 to Cleverly determine another person's Trouble.

Ally (Flashy): Because of your Magical Thunderbolt Companion you gain a +2 to Flashily do something up to 2 Zones away.

STRESS

[  ]  [  ]  [  ]

CONSEQUENCES 
Mild (2): 

Moderate (4): 

Severe (6):

REFRESH: 3 

Shadow of the Demon Lord: Pig-Thing

The villagers of Plinth told wild and wicked stories about Miriam who lived alone in the woods after her Ma and Pa died of consumption. They called her a witch and worse in town, especially if there was ale involved. But when she came to town ripe with a babe in her belly a full three years after she lost her parents their tongues got to truly waggling. "Whose the father? What man would have her? Who else would have her? I mean it's just her and some pigs out there."

No one really knows what forces Miriam dallied with, but soon their world would change forever the squeal of her newborn baby boy she called Junior.

As the year's went on hunter's began avoiding anywhere close to her place and they'd mutter, "Something ain't right out her way, there's something big around her place." And a few would whisper, "Something at her place it...it's just....I mean its just plain wrong."

After just a few year animals started disappearing; at first just chickens and some cat, but then dogs and goats and even horses would go missing and always close to those woods. Things looked bad when Grahm Thomas' prized cow, Blueberry, was taken and it got even worse after Tilly Rorke, Lem's youngest at just six years old, never came home.

It was then that some of the villagers started bringing up Miriam and that babe she had been close to birthing years ago and then Gordon and Dwight Lerner and couple of the other hunters brought up what they feared might be out there on her land.

That night seven men set out for Miriam's filled with whiskey and armed with more than pitchforks and torches seven men went out to "set things right" and find little Tilly. They never came home.


PIG-THING (JUNIOR)          DIFFICULTY 50
Size 2 horrifying monster
Perception 11 (+1); shadowsight
Defense  15; Health 45
Strength 17 (+7)   Agility 11 (+1)   Intellect 8 (-2)   Will 12 (+2)
Speed 10

Ferocious When a pig-thing would become incapacitated, roll 

a d6. On a roll of 5 or 6 the pig-thing instead heals 10 damage.

ATTACK OPTIONS
Sweaty Paws (melee) +7 with 1 boon (2d6) 


SPECIAL ATTACKS

Devour The pig-thing eats one target defenseless or dead creature that is Size 1 or smaller and within its reach. A living creature dies instantly on being eaten.

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Of Mars: Banth for 13th Age

Banths are large predators, somewhat analogous to the earthly lion, which hunt in the low hills near the long-dead seas of Mars. They have long, sinuous bodies, completely hairless except for a bristly mane around the neck, and supported by ten legs, and powerful jaws with several rows of needle-like teeth. The eyes of a Banth are protruding and green.

BANTH
4th level wrecker [BEAST]
Initiative: +8

Claw, Claw, Claw, Claw, Bite +9 vs AC - 14 damage
     Natural Even Roll: The target is grabbed

     Natural Roll of 16+: An additional 7 damage

Fearsome: Banths use the escalation die.

Nastier Specials
Several Rows of Needle-Like Teeth +9 vs PD -10 damage
     Natural Roll of 16+: The target is hampered

AC 20

PD  18          HP 54

MD 14

Fear Threshold 18

Dark Souls: Chaos Eater for Shadow of the Demon Lord

A sickly yellow, inverted cone-shaped enemy that is covered in eyes. A gaping, tooth-ringed mouth opens at the top and their multiple, suckered appendages make a hollow popping noise while walking.

It have 700 health. 

CHAOS EATER          DIFFICULTY 25
Size 1 horrifying monster
Perception 16 (+6); shadowsight
Defense  15; Health 20
Strength 12 (+2)   Agility 14 (+4) Intellect 10 (+0)   Will 13 (+3)
Speed 10; climber

Immune gaining Insanity; asleep, diseased, fatigued, frightened, 
   stunned

ATTACK OPTIONS
Appendage (melee; reach+2) +4 with 1 boons (2d6)

SPECIAL ATTACKS
Too Many Eyes The chaos eater attacks two different targets with its appendages.



 

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A Good Word for Chris Pramas and Green Ronin

Several years ago, I backed the mammoth Freeport Kickstarter, but because I'm lazy I didn't notice that my PDF rewards went to an old e-mail address. I got my physical rewards and was thoroughly happy.

Flash forward a few years and most of what I read our PDFs on my macbook. I discovered the problem with the e-mail and went to the Kickstarter contacted them and explained that "I was an idiot and if they could help me great, if not, I completely understand."

Later that day, Chris Pramas, founder of Green Ronin, sent me the files.

Now let me be clear here, three years after the Kickstarter he took the time to send me files because I couldn't keep track of an e-mail address.

That's some quality customer service. And I'm pleased to stay that I've had similar quality customer service from other Ronins.

They're a great company and they deserve a shout out!